Britain is one of the few countries known for possessing higher civilian
ethics and supporting human rights in the best possible way. However, quite
shocking itís to know that here too women are subjected to brutality, sometimes in
the name of religion or sometimes in the name of customs. The issue takes a
more gruesome turn when it comes to Muslim women.

Itís shameful
to say that this brutality is a part of 21st century Britain. Yes! You got it
right. No doubt, in the Muslim community, this brutality is prevalent
for a long time after it started approximately 2000 years ago. However, one is
certainly shocked to know that countries like Britain are also part of it. Here
I am talking about a very brutal form of custom called Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

If you think
that FGM is just like male circumcision, in which a small part of
thin foreskin is snipped off then you are wrong because it is a surgery of the
cruelest kind that involves:

ē The
removal of the tip of the clitoris, which is very sensitive because it contains
the most nerve endings

ē Total
removal of the clitoris and surrounding labia

ē The
removal of the clitoris and labia and the sewing up of the vagina, leaving only
a small opening for urine and menstrual blood - a process known as
infibulations.

Conservative
estimates show that 66,000 women and girls living in Britain have been
mutilated so far and the practice is still on. It provides a glimpse of the
horrific practice, still prevalent in a developed countries like Britain,
but the situation is no less than a nightmare in many developing countries. For
instance, in around 28 countries in central Africa, it is widely practiced.

Defining it as
one of the cruelest surgery, wonít be wrong. However, itís ironic that instruments
normally used for conducting FGM include razor, blade, broken glass, a tin lid
and any other sharp-edged glass. In most cases, untrained mid-wives conduct
entire procedure, exposing the victim to fatal repercussions like - serious
infections, HIV, abscesses and small benign tumors, hemorrhages, shock,
clitoral cysts, etc.

The main logic
behind such horrendous practice is that it makes women calm and enables her to
provide more satisfaction during sexual intercourse. Isnít it bullshit just,
especially at a time when old shackles regarding virginity, abstinence are fast
losing their importance? Moreover, such barbaric customs or traditions makes
mockery of the very concept of modernization, which we all feel proud of. Isnít
it?